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Salutation

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James,

To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:

May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

Occasion of the Letter

Beloved, being very eager to write to you of our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For admission has been secretly gained by some who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly persons who pervert the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.[a]

Judgment on False Teachers

Now I desire to remind you, though you were once for all fully informed, that he[b] who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels that did not keep their own position but left their proper dwelling have been kept by him in eternal chains in the nether gloom until the judgment of the great day; just as Sodom and Gomor′rah and the surrounding cities, which likewise acted immorally and indulged in unnatural lust, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.

Yet in like manner these men in their dreamings defile the flesh, reject authority, and revile the glorious ones.[c] But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, disputed about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a reviling judgment upon him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” 10 But these men revile whatever they do not understand, and by those things that they know by instinct as irrational animals do, they are destroyed. 11 Woe to them! For they walk in the way of Cain, and abandon themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error, and perish in Korah’s rebellion. 12 These are blemishes[d] on your love feasts, as they boldly carouse together, looking after themselves; waterless clouds, carried along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; 13 wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars for whom the nether gloom of darkness has been reserved for ever.

14 It was of these also that Enoch in the seventh generation from Adam prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with his holy myriads, 15 to execute judgment on all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness which they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” 16 These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own passions, loud-mouthed boasters, flattering people to gain advantage.

Warnings and Exhortations

17 But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18 they said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” 19 It is these who set up divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. 20 But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; 21 keep yourselves in the love of God; wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22 And convince some, who doubt; 23 save some, by snatching them out of the fire; on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.[e]

Benediction

24 Now to him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you without blemish before the presence of his glory with rejoicing, 25 to the only God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and for ever. Amen.

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Footnotes

  1. Jude 1:4 Or the only Master and our Lord Jesus Christ
  2. Jude 1:5 Ancient authorities read Jesus or the Lord or God
  3. Jude 1:8 Greek glories
  4. Jude 1:12 Or reefs
  5. Jude 1:23 The Greek text in this sentence is uncertain at several points

[a]Jude, a [b]servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of [c]James, [d]to them that are called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ: Mercy unto you and peace and love be multiplied.

Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation, I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in privily, even they who were of old [e]written of beforehand unto this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying [f]our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Now I desire to put you in remembrance, though ye know all things once for all, that [g]the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, [h]afterward destroyed them that believed not. And angels that kept not their own principality, but left their proper habitation, he hath kept in everlasting bonds under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them, having in like manner with these given themselves over to fornication and gone after strange flesh, are set forth [i]as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire. Yet in like manner these also in their dreamings defile the flesh, and set at nought dominion, and rail at [j]dignities. But Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing judgment, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. 10 But these rail at whatsoever things they know not: and what they understand naturally, like the creatures without reason, in these things are they [k]destroyed. 11 Woe unto them! for they went in the way of Cain, and [l]ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah. 12 These are they who are [m]hidden rocks in your love-feasts when they feast with you, shepherds that without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; 13 wild waves of the sea, foaming out their own [n]shame; wandering stars, for whom the blackness of darkness hath been reserved for ever. 14 And to these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord came with [o]ten thousands of his holy ones, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have ungodly wrought, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. 16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their lusts (and their mouth speaketh great swelling words), showing respect of persons for the sake of advantage.

17 But ye, beloved, remember ye the words which have been spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18 that they said to you, In the last time there shall be mockers, walking after [p]their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are they who make separations, [q]sensual, having not the Spirit. 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22 [r]And on some have mercy, [s]who are in doubt; 23 and some save, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

24 Now unto him that is able to guard you from stumbling, and to set you before the presence of his glory without blemish in exceeding joy, 25 to the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and power, before all time, and now, and [t]for evermore. Amen.

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Footnotes

  1. Jude 1:1 Greek Judas.
  2. Jude 1:1 Greek bondservant.
  3. Jude 1:1 Or, Jacob
  4. Jude 1:1 Or, to them that are beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ, being called
  5. Jude 1:4 Or, set forth
  6. Jude 1:4 Or, the only Master, and our Lord Jesus Christ
  7. Jude 1:5 Many very ancient authorities read Jesus.
  8. Jude 1:5 Greek the second time.
  9. Jude 1:7 Or, as an example of eternal fire, suffering punishment
  10. Jude 1:8 Greek glories.
  11. Jude 1:10 Or, corrupted. Compare 2 Pet. 2:12 margin.
  12. Jude 1:11 Or, cast themselves away through
  13. Jude 1:12 Or, spots
  14. Jude 1:13 Greek shames.
  15. Jude 1:14 Greek his holy myriads.
  16. Jude 1:18 Greek their own lusts of ungodlinesses.
  17. Jude 1:19 Or, natural. Or, animal
  18. Jude 1:22 The Greek text in this passage (And . . . fire) is somewhat uncertain. Some ancient authorities read And some refute while they dispute with you. Compare 1 Tim. 5:20; Titus 1:9.
  19. Jude 1:22 Or, while they dispute with you
  20. Jude 1:25 Greek unto all the ages.